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A 30-year-old man was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistrates' Courts after being convicted of one count of dealing with crime proceeds today (January 14).

The court heard that a local bank reported to the Police on October 5, 2004 that a customer was deceived via a bogus electronic mail of the bank.

Officers of the Technology Crime Division of the Commercial Crime Bureau arrested a 30-year-old man suspected in connection with the case on October 6. He was subsequently charged with dealing with crime proceeds.

Enquiries revealed that he had provided his bank account to an unknown person met in ICQ platform in connection with the bogus electronic mails to receive a sum of $42,300. As instructed by the person, the man deducted five per cent of the money he received and remitted the remaining $40,185 to an account in Russia.

He was pleaded guilty at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts on December 31. He reappeared at the court and was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment today.

Police Report No. 12

Issued by PPRB

End/1930 hours, Friday, January 14, 2005 (EH/AC)

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